NameCensus.

UK surname

Sellings

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Sellings surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, down from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Hawkhurst, Etchingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tunbridge Wells, Spelthorne and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sellings is 143 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 141.5%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

2000

143 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sellings had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Sellings surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sellings surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sellings surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sellings over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 31 #27,734
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 98 #23,119
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 126 #24,094
1999 modern 137 #23,083
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 143 #22,595
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 131 #24,282
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 133 #25,177
2012 modern 136 #24,830
2013 modern 137 #25,149
2014 modern 132 #25,971
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Sellings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Hawkhurst, Etchingham, Penshurst and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tunbridge Wells, Spelthorne, Bristol and Eastbourne. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 Hawkhurst, Etchingham Kent
4 Penshurst Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tunbridge Wells 005 Tunbridge Wells
2 Tunbridge Wells 008 Tunbridge Wells
3 Spelthorne 011 Spelthorne
4 Bristol 042 Bristol, City of
5 Eastbourne 002 Eastbourne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sellings

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sellings surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sellings

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sellings, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Sellings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Sellings household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sellings is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sellings is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sellings falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sellings is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sellings, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Sellings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sellings surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 30 Sellings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.43x.

County Total Index
Sussex 30 34.43x
Kent 19 10.78x
Middlesex 3 0.58x
Lancashire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Speldhurst in Kent leads with 10 Sellings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1111.11x.

Place Total Index
Speldhurst 10 1111.11x
Frant 9 1451.61x
Tonbridge 9 141.51x
Etchingham 8 5000.00x
Hastings St Mary In The 6 322.58x
Rotherfield 6 779.22x
Birkdale 1 64.52x
Laughton 1 769.23x
Limehouse London 1 17.64x
Poplar London 1 10.26x
Ratcliffe London 1 35.09x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sellings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alice 3
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Elizabeth 2
Harriett 2
Annie 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Rosanna 1
Rosie 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sellings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 6
William 4
John 3
Thomas 3
Frederick 2
George 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Benjamem 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Henry 1
Percy 1
Stephen 1
Willm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sellings households.

FAQ

Sellings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sellings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Sellings surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sellings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Sellings a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Sellings map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sellings bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.